Storage container systems and methods

Abstract

Pursuant to some embodiments, a container system includes a main container having a bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls integrally connected to the sidewalls, the bottom wall and sidewalls having an interior face defining an interior holding area of the main container, a container coupling formed in or on at least one of the interior faces of at least one of the sidewalls within the interior holding area of the main container, and a sub-container adapted to be removably coupled to the container coupling and disposed in the interior holding area of the main container, the sub-container having a bottom wall integrally connected with a plurality of sidewalls of the sub-container, the bottom wall and sidewalls of the sub-container having an interior face defining an interior holding area of the sub-container.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A container system, the system comprising:
 a main container having a bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls integrally connected to the bottom wall, the bottom wall and sidewalls having an interior face defining an interior holding area of the main container, the main container having indicia located thereon, the indicia being distinct from any other marking on the main container and to indicate a volume of the sub-container; 
 a container coupling formed in or on the interior faces of two of the sidewalls opposing each other within the interior holding area of the main container; and 
 a sub-container adapted to be removably coupled to the container coupling and disposed in the interior holding area of the main container, the sub-container having a bottom wall integrally connected with a plurality of sidewalls of the sub-container, the bottom wall and sidewalls of the sub-container having an interior face defining an interior holding area of the sub-container. 
 
     
     
       2. The container system of  claim 1 , wherein an upper peripheral portion of the sidewalls of the sub-container, when coupled to the sub-container coupling and disposed in the interior holding area of the main container, are substantially even with an upper peripheral portion of the sidewalls of the main container. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sub-container further comprises a container coupling to engage with the sub-container coupling to couple the sub-container to the main container. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the container coupling of the sub-container is located at or along at least one peripheral edge of the sub-container. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the container coupling of the sub-container is located at or along the bottom wall of the sub-container. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a lid, the lid being removably attached to an upper periphery of at least one of the main container and the sub-container. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a lower portion of the interior face of the side walls of the main container are thicker than an upper terminal portion of these side walls and the sub-container disposed in the interior holding area of the main container is supported by an upper terminal end of the thicker lower side wall portion of the main container. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the container coupling is formed in or on the interior faces of at least two of the sidewalls opposing each other within the interior holding area of the main container. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the container coupling is formed in or on the interior faces of at least four of the sidewalls within the interior holding area of the main container.